September 4, 2012

Emails leak in the legal controversy involving Lloyd's of London, which insured the big 5--concert series that Jackson was supposed to do. Lloyd's is now trying to nullify its cancellation policy based on false claims made by AEG about Jackson's ability to perform.

The documents include Kenny Ortega, the show's director and a close associate of Jackson for 20 years, telling Randy Phillips, AEG Live CEO, that the star was in no state to perform. He wrote: "There are strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behaviour. I think the best thing we can do is get a top psychiatrist in to evaluate him ASAP."...

Phillips told Ortega: "It is critical that neither you, me or anyone around this show become amateur psychiatrists or physicians."

However Phillips, one of the music industry's most powerful promoters, who offered Jackson a £100 million deal for the shows, had seen the first-hand the depths to which the performer had sunk.

I'm not up to speed on the MJ insurance controversy, but have had some experience as an insurance broker in high-value (i.e., performer) risks. I placed a life policy on John Lennon only 2-1/2 weeks prior to his demise, and (in fact), the underwriters had not yet had an opportunity to do all of their intended due diligence.

Coverage was contingent on Mr. Lennon's submission to a physical examination and "certified" provision of other medical-related information. Notwithstanding the fact that these steps had not been completed, my client had already advanced significant sums to Mr. Lennon, and insisted the coverage be effective immediately, subject to re-negotiation or cancellation in the event of adverse findings by the medical professionals.

When Mr. Lennon met his demise, the insurers at first sought to void the policy based on the contingencies that were in place. It was only after some rather strong reminders to the underwriters that it was their delay in finding (and paying for) the professionals they wanted to complete the tests that they relented. Also, a rather blunt statement that if they didn't pay, we would be certain to make sure that everyone in the industry knew that they had weaselled out didn't hurt.

To their credit, once we got past the initial "deny first and ignore anything else" stage in the claims process, payment was almost immediate and without rancor. I believe to this day that the insurers wanted to keep their own image(s) intact, rather than suffer the fate of actually not paying on a legitimate claim.

In the Michael Jackson situation, I would suspect that the underwriters will be arguing that there were material misstatements in the application materials; thus trying to void the policy. A big question in this sort of "problem" is the fortuitousness (is that a word?) of the event giving rise to a claim. In Mr. Lennon's case, being murdered on the street is usually considered a fortuitous event, but a mental, followed by physical collapse can be somewhat anticipated in the case of Mr. Jackson.

Um.... Welcome to the entertainment industry. It's only because there is so much cash thrown about to everyone, the money-train greases so many palms, that it isn't shut down due to its unethical business practices alone, not to mention the accounting!

And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Michael Jackson, King of Pop: Look on my greatest hits, ye Mighty, and despair!” Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Terrible. If we treated a performing dog with this same lack of compassion we would be in jail, accused of cruelty to animals.

Jackson has been treated like a trained animal all of his life. Misused and abused by his 'trainers', just like many child stars who ended up tragic train wrecks. (Judy Garland for one). Yet, because he is a human being, there is no accountability, no recourse.

Dust Bunny Queen said...Jackson has been treated like a trained animal all of his life. Misused and abused by his 'trainers', just like many child stars who ended up tragic train wrecks. (Judy Garland for one). Yet, because he is a human being, there is no accountability, no recourse.

Presumably, the chronology is critical here. Did the promoters, knowing that the star was a basket case, go forward with the insurance in the expectation that the sunk costs could be recovered with a large insurance claim? Ah, the wonders of e-discovery!

Not to sound like an apologist for new ageism, but New Ageism didn't kill him. His doctor did using traditional medication.

That is not to say that MJ wasn't completely f'ed in the head and hung around with crackpots and hangerson, or that this fawning over Jackson didn't ultimately lead to his death. But it wasn't believing in Uri Geller that killed MJ.

And Crack asked "Are We Going To Let These Vultures Get Away With It - Again?". What is the remedy? To refuse to allow Uri Geller to associate with anyone?It's not that I don't agree that Uri is a fraud, I just don't think think you can stop people from believing what they want to and associating with who they like. Michael should have gotten the memo that Uri is a fraud, and maybe he did but didn't care or still believed he could bend spoons, or simply liked him because he was a celebrity that MJ looked up to? Who knows? Nothing we could really do about it though is there.

MJ was the master of himself. He surrounded himself with sycophants who never said no to him. That's what the problem was, not that he associated with Elizabeth Taylor. There was noone to tell MJ, "you're behaving like an ass, you need counseling". But even if there were, he would simply remove them from his entourage. As such, MJ was responsible for MJ.

"There are strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behaviour. I think the best thing we can do is get a top psychiatrist in to evaluate him ASAP."...

This is Michael Jackson we're talking about. The king of pop. He was desparate to earn some money, so he wasn't going to stop performing. And noone wants to tell MJ he's crazy and they won't let him perform.

And crazy as opposed to what? When was MJ ever not bat shit crazy as an adult? When he was collecting the Elephant Man bones? when he was inviting kids over to his room to stay overnight? When he was living in an amusement park? I would submit that for someone at that level of fame, and that level of crazy there is no objective measure of telling them they can't do something or need to see a psychiatrist?

Applicable lyrics;Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me Is there anyone home?

Come on Now I hear you're feeling down I can ease your pain Get you on your feet again

Relax I'll need some information first Just the basic facts Can you show me where it hurts?

O.K. Just a little pin prick There'll be no more aaaaaaaah! But you may feel a little sick

Can you stand up? I do believe it's working Good That'll keep you going through the show Come on It's time to go

This happens all the time in showbiz. The star often needs a little chemical simulation to get up the energy to perform and the doc is there to give him the drugs to make him feel better enough so that he get on with the entertaining. It's sad, but it's show biz.

Numerous emails show Lloyd’s of London unsuccessfully pushing for access to five years of Jackson’s medical records in order to expand insurance coverage for the concerts.

The insurer also wanted the singer to undergo a four-hour medical exam that would include three doctors, heart monitoring and blood work. AEG’s insurance broker tried to persuade Lloyd’s to drop the physical, according to the email discussions.

Which is bad news for a star who is deteriorating psychologically, as the detioration itself makes the star less inclined to listen even while the stardom makes it possible to remove anyone voicing things you don't wish to hear.

A once talented child trotted out as an entertainment phenom of his time, who was exploited for decades by his family and his partners to produce a product that stands the test of time, but which took such a massive toll on him mentally, spiritually, and physically, that as an adult, he was basically incapable of managing his own affairs. And yet, the land sharks still hovered waiting to squeeze the last bit of exploitable wealth from a man who couldn't in effect defend himself against them because he spent himself into oblivion and needed the money to help spend himself out of oblivion. He's as culpable of his failures as a human being as they are as culpable of their inability to not exploit this human being for failing to be vulnerable.

MJ was the master of himself. He surrounded himself with sycophants who never said no to him. That's what the problem was, not that he associated with Elizabeth Taylor. There was noone to tell MJ, "you're behaving like an ass, you need counseling".

So "there was noone to tell MJ, "you're behaving like an ass, you need counseling," but the problem WASN'T that Elizabeth Taylor was there, not telling him that?

I saw this is it. He couldn't sing. I don't wonder if he panicked and got suicidal about the impending nosedive of his reputation and career. Or if there was some back-room dealings to do something to cash in on that insurance policy.

Crack wrote:So "there was noone to tell MJ, "you're behaving like an ass, you need counseling," but the problem WASN'T that Elizabeth Taylor was there, not telling him that?

Jesus, what a mess your mind is,...

Liz Taylor has been around hollywood types her whole life. A lot of them are straight up weird. Michael Jackson has been a weirdo for decades. What is she going to confront him on, that he has the elephant mans bones or a pet monkey? The thing his he always had those traits, but was at least functional until his death. Despite his wackoness he was able to put out one of the biggest albums of all time and then follow that up with another twenty years of pop albums of varying quality. So, if he's a functional weirdo and that is Michael Jackson you deal with him as he is. The problem is that it became known or should have become known to many people that he was, in addition to being a weirdo, becoming a drug addict. And for those people who might have stepped in and said "Michael stop!"he would simply cut out of his life. I don't know that Elizabeth Taylor was in fact a friend of his when he died. She may have already been cut out or ceased hanging out with him.

I don't know that Elizabeth Taylor was in fact a friend of his when he died. She may have already been cut out or ceased hanging out with him.

Once again you admit you "don't know," and qualify what she "may" blah, blah, blah, but here you are ASSUMING - for the umpteenth time - that you have the authority to say those who DO KNOW are all wrong because what again? Oh, that's right: